Computer Repair Wichita – Back to School Tune-ups?

Posted on August 20, 2012 by Kevin Peterson Comments Off on Computer Repair Wichita – Back to School Tune-ups?

For more information about computer repair and support in Wichita KS, visit our homepage at Proper Technology Solutions.

All Systems are Go!  – Or Not…

Wichita Public Schools and other area districts went back to class last week to the rejoicing of parents throughout the city.  One thing they might start noticing is that the home computer isn’t making the grade when it comes to the plethora of online activities and websites required these days in order to help our students with their education.

My kids work on websites daily as practice, reinforcement and homework.  We check their grades weekly online and even send the lunch money electronically.  It seems like I am constantly using my own computer repair skills to keep the system functioning to allow us access to these tools.

If you’re not a computer technician, you might need an assist.  If you are having any difficulty with websites or applications required for school, give us a call.  For about the same cost as taking your machine to a big-box store, we can send an industry certified technician to your home to make the required repairs.  In some cases we may be able to simply remote-control your machine and fix it from our offices.

Just give us a call at (316) 337-5628 and let us know how we can help!

 

IT Support

Computer Repair Wichita – Wichita and Tech Growth

Posted on August 16, 2012 by Kevin Peterson Comments Off on Computer Repair Wichita – Wichita and Tech Growth

For more information about computer repair and support in Wichita KS, visit our homepage at Proper Technology Solutions.

Tech Hub in Wichita

Could Wichita ever be a technology source?  Looking around Wichita, having lived here for the past 20 years, I think the time might be right.  With jobs declining in the aviation sector, Wichita may need to diversify.  While I don’t think we should stop fighting to keep the title of “Air Capital” alive, pursuing and enabling technology startups could be the next big boom for our city.

I’ve been involved in discussions recently with a new startup that is still in the formation stage.  They are ready to roll out a new router as a first product in a line that I have become very excited about.  As an IT consulting firm, we are always looking for ways to increase service levels and reliability for our customers, while still keeping their SMB budgets in mind.  Not only will this new product line allow me to offer a superior product to my small business networking customers, it will also have distinct bonuses:

  1. Lower Cost:  This new product (details as it evolves) will provide more functionality and efficiency at a lower price point.
  2. Upgradeability:  The ability to add new features to this product will allow more businesses to upgrade rather than replace.
  3. Locally Sourced:  Revenue from the product will support local jobs and our community.

When I can release more details, I will.  As this project develops, I’ll be reaching out to the other computer repair shops, network consultants, IT service firms and others in the area to help this company strive.  As with everything else in our business, if I didn’t believe it would benefit the customer, I wouldn’t endorse it.  Suffice it to say I think that it will make quite a few SMBs in town very happy.

If you’re looking for solid IT support for your business or reliable on-site residential service for your PC or Mac computers, give us a call at (316) 337-5628.  One of our team of industry certified computer professionals will be more than happy to discuss your needs and let you know that we believe in the meaning behind our name:

Proper=Professional Support

 

 

Apple, Business, IT Support, Mac

Computer Repair Wichita – SEO Case Study Round 3

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Kevin Peterson Comments Off on Computer Repair Wichita – SEO Case Study Round 3

For more information about computer repair and support in Wichita KS, visit our homepage at Proper Technology Solutions.

Search Engine Optimization Results and Overview

We’re heading into the maintenance phase of our SEO case study of our favorite travel agents in Wichita, The Travel Junkie, LLC.

For a recap of Round 1 and Round 2, click the links!

Here’s the current numbers roughly two months after starting the project (per Google):

Wichita Travel Agency: Ranked 35th on 4/25.  Ranked 5th on 6/25.
Wichita Travel Agent: Ranked 35th on 4/25.  Ranked 3rd on 6/25.
Travel Agency Wichita: Ranked 56th on 4/25.  Ranked 4th on 6/25.
Travel Agent Wichita: Ranked 41st on 4/25.  Ranked 2nd on 6/25.

In addition to the great results above, we’ve also identified some other keyword phrases we are targeting for improved rankings.  One of the hidden benefits of tracking is that our work on our first keywords can bring us up for other phrases as well, which may actually provide better results!

These top 10 results were achieved over a two month period, outranking some existing websites that have been in operation for ten years or more.  All in all, more targeted traffic is coming into the website and the reach is improving.

Proper Technology Solutions is a small business and residential computer consulting business.  We provide computer repair services in Wichita and surrounding areas, from setting up home office wireless networks to advanced multi-location VPN solutions for larger businesses.

If you’re looking for fast, efficient, on-site service (for residential, too), call us at (316) 337-5628.  All of our computer repair technicians are college-educated and hold at least one industry certification, ensuring that they have the skills needed for any project you may have.  We offer low rates at $70/hour with no minimum service charges for coming direct to your location.

 

 

Business, IT Support, Search Engine Optimization, SEO

Computer Repair Wichita – Fast, Efficient Residential Service

Posted on June 19, 2012 by Kevin Peterson Comments Off on Computer Repair Wichita – Fast, Efficient Residential Service

For more information about computer repair and support in Wichita KS, visit our homepage at Proper Technology Solutions.

In-Home Computer Repair in Wichita?

Yes, we do that.  We’ve picked up another handful of happy residential customers in Wichita over the past week.  Once I tell them we’ll be right out to repair their computer at their house, the most common question is:  You do that?

Absolutely.  Our highly trained computer repair technicians are able to cover all the bases, from standard in-home wireless networking to multi-location small business VPN systems.  So whether you have one laptop on a wireless network or fifty workstations in a secure business environment, we have the skills required to make quick and efficient repairs as well as suggestions for updates and additional security.

Just this morning, we were tasked to remove a virus that was preventing Peachtree Accounting from updating.  Unfortunately, this was also preventing payroll from going out.  Fortunately, within an hour, a technician was onsite and the needed repairs were made.  On another client site, the customer was having trouble connecting a wireless printer to their home network.  After a month of working on it on their own, the first test page was printing in under an hour.

If you are looking for quality, professional IT support or computer repair in Wichita and surrounding areas, give us a call at (316) 337-5628.  One of our college-educated and industry certified technicians will be able to help you with all of your needs, day or night.

 

Business, IT Support

Computer Repair Wichita – Look Out When You ‘Buy Local’

Posted on June 5, 2012 by Kevin Peterson Comments Off on Computer Repair Wichita – Look Out When You ‘Buy Local’

For more information about computer repair and support in Wichita KS, visit our homepage at Proper Technology Solutions.

What Does ‘Buy Local’ Mean Anyway?

So I’m a Search Engine guy, you’ve probably already noticed.  I spend a lot of time looking at results to see how we (and our SEO clients) can be better found on the web.  The other day I found a competitor that I never saw in the past (I won’t name them, but drop me a line!)

Sharp website, local phone number and address for mobile Wichita computer repair.  I did a little looking around, because they had lots of reviews in Google and other places.  Here’s what I found:

  • A Google Streetmap view shows that their ‘local’ address is somehow in the intersection between a public school and a church, neither of which have that address.
  • All of the Google+ reviews are from ‘A Google User’ and don’t have names/faces attached to them.
  • Numerous ‘local’ pages from at least a dozen cities.
  • 20+ complaints on the BBB website
  • An ‘expose’-style entry on a geek blog.

The last bullet was the most interesting.  The website claimed that the modus operandi of this computer repair outfit is as follows:

  1. Setup a local phone number
  2. Wait for someone to schedule an on-site tech from the website
  3. Advertise on Craig’s List for someone to do the job
  4. Send that person out to the customer (probably unvetted)
  5. Bill the customer (Minimum $99)
  6. Send the tech a payment (or more often not, according to the expose)

I guess you could say this is buying local!  In the computer repair business, I guess we need to follow the same procedures we do in other fields:  Do some homework.

If you’re looking for small business or residential computer repair, service and support in Wichita and surrounding areas from a local provider, give us a call at (316) 337-5628 or stop by our office at 4601 E. Douglas Ave in Wichita.  You might call ahead if you want us to be in, but you can at least look through the door to see that we really live there!

 

Business, IT Support, Search Engine Optimization, SEO, Tips

Wichita IT Service – SEO Case Study Round 2

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Kevin Peterson Comments Off on Wichita IT Service – SEO Case Study Round 2

For more information about computer repair and support in Wichita KS, visit our homepage at Proper Technology Solutions.

Search Engine Optimization Case Study Part 2

We discussed SEO in-depth in the first post in this series (SEO Case Study).  Today we’ll talk about some of the major changes made and look at some of the results we’ve seen so far.

What’s in a Name?

The original website was located at www.mytripfix.com.  A great name, short and snappy for email and name recognition, but it wasn’t doing anything for helping the website stand out in the crowd.  We changed the primary website over to www.travelagentwichita.com, capturing what we guessed would be an exact Google search for a majority of users.  The original domain names are still accessible, they just forward the traffic on to the new domain name.  In a nutshell, everything is the same other than the new name on the site.  No need to change business cards or promotional material.

 

Content is King

Looking at the top dogs for the search terms required, we identified a big issue.  #1 in Google had over 7,000 pages in the index.  Our site – 7.  We resurrected the website’s blog and the owner is creating pages like mad.  The more content a site has that is relevant to the subject matter, the better.  If you (as Google) had to recommend a book to someone on a certain subject, you’d be more likely to recommend the book that had 7,000 pages on that subject than the 7-pager.

Use the Description

The description tag in HTML is what Google uses to give you that 0ne-liner below the name of the website.  You can have a whole paragraph, but make sure you put your knockout punches in the first line or two.  The selling point for me for using a travel agent was the fact that they don’t charge for their services (Read: FREE!).  We changed the description tag to let searchers see that right off the bat.  Even if we don’t make it to #1 right away, good news like this can steal clicks away from the top spot.

Results?

Google search for ‘travel agent wichita’

4/26/12 – Ranked #41
5/1/12 – Ranked #12
5/24/12 – Ranked #3

If you’re looking for business or residential IT service in Wichita and surrounding areas, give us a call at (316) 337-5628.  Don’t trust your machine to the big box store when you can have a certified tech come right to you for about the same price.  We have experience with everything from typical home networking to advanced multi-location networks for business.

 

Business, IT Support, Search Engine Optimization, SEO

Tip: Catching Up on Your Mail. Outlook 2010 Filter E-Mail Feature

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Kevin Peterson Comments Off on Tip: Catching Up on Your Mail. Outlook 2010 Filter E-Mail Feature

For more information about computer repair and support in Wichita KS, visit our homepage at Proper Technology Solutions.

Wichita IT Support Tip for May 4th, 2011
(May the 4th be with you.)

If you’re like me, you get a lot of email.  Really.  It’s crazy.  As a network consultant, I get standard support requests, server status updates, power outage notifications and a bevy of newsletters that keep me up to date on all those things that computer support people need to know.  Let’s just say that sometimes I get behind and am staring at 2,500 messages in my inbox, and it’s reminding me that in the middle of that mess are 106 emails that I haven’t read yet.

Let’s make life easier, shall we?

In Outlook 2010, look to the far right of the toolbar.  Look for ‘Filter E-mail’ with the ubiquitous funnel icon:

Filter E-mail Option in Outlook 2010

Filter E-mail Option in Outlook 2010

 Pretty Easy.  A quick rundown:

  • Unread: Shows you just your emails that haven’t been marked as read yet.
  • Has Attachments: I like to use this when I remember someone sent me an attachment, but has sent me a hundred emails over the last month.
  • This Week: Flies out to let you filter by day, week, etc.
  • Categorized: Let’s talk about this one in a later post!
  • Flagged: Shows only your flagged email (for Follow-Ups)
  • Important: Shows only those emails that were probably only important to the sender.
  • Sent to: Me or CC: Me:  Great for more corporate environments where you want to filter out messages sent to distribution groups
  • View Items Expiring Soon: Again, let’s talk about this one later!
  • More Filters: Can be misleading.  When you click it, nothing may seem to happen, but your normal icon bar is changed to the Search icon bar, where you have quite a few more options.

If you’re looking for residential or business computer support, please give us a call at (316) 337-5628.  One of our college-educated and certified computer repair technicians can discuss your needs and help you make your systems more efficient.

 

 

 

IT Support, Outlook 2010, Tips , ,

Wichita Computer Repair – A Case Study for Search Engine Marketing

Posted on May 2, 2012 by Kevin Peterson Comments Off on Wichita Computer Repair – A Case Study for Search Engine Marketing

For more information about computer repair and support in Wichita KS, visit our homepage at Proper Technology Solutions.

I have posted several blog entries about the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services we perform as part of our Wichita IT support business.  Let’s refresh what I like to consider a ‘clearing of the air’ about this type of consulting.  In the field of hacking, everyone is familiar with the terms ‘White Hat’ and ‘Black Hat’.  These terms apply equally to SEO services.

Here are some hard and fast rules:

  • If an optimization consultant promises ‘quick’ or ‘guaranteed’ top listings, you are probably dealing with a ‘Black Hat’.  You will receive quick bumps to your rankings, possibly even all the way to the top in Google.  Unfortunately, like all things that seem too good to be true, you may find your site disappear completely from the listings due to the unethical practices used that are actually violations of Google’s rules.
  • Optimization takes time.  The more competitive your market, the longer it may take to see prime results.
  • Content is king.  Take off your business marketing hat for a moment and think like your ideal customers.  When you are searching for something in particular, you want to be directed to a site that is ‘about’ your target.  Make sure your site is about what your customers are trying to find.  By that, I simply mean that you have to talk about it.  Specifically.

I’ve started doing a case study for a local Wichita business, The Travel Junkie, LLC.  As a Wichita travel agent, they provide no-cost travel planning services.  In fact, they are planning a 15th anniversary trip for me and my wife as I speak!  Working with the owner, we decided that the most common search for his customers would be along the lines of ‘travel agent wichita’ and variations of the same.

As of 4/26/2012, the site was ranked #41 for ‘travel agent wichita’, well outside of how deep most searchers will go through the results.  As of 5/1/2012, they are currently ranking #12.

This will be the first of a series for this case study.  We will discuss some of the changes made, from simple changes most website owners can make to more complex topics.

If you’re interested in an SEO evaluation for your website, we are currently offering consulting services for businesses in Wichita and surrounding areas.  Give us a call at (316) 337-5628 and we can discuss your web optimization project.

 

Business, IT Support, Search Engine Optimization, SEO

Wichita Computer Repair – Residential PC Service (Yes, we do that)

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Kevin Peterson Comments Off on Wichita Computer Repair – Residential PC Service (Yes, we do that)

For more information about computer repair and support in Wichita KS, visit our homepage at Proper Technology Solutions.

Wichita Home PC Networking and Service

For the last year, Proper Technology Solutions has been focused on small-business and enterprise-level customers, building servers and networks for clients in the Wichita area.  Recently, we’ve added a new technician to the team and her primary area of expertise is residential and home PC repair and service.

In most cases, for the price you would pay to deliver your pride and joy to the local big-box store, we can provide you with a college-educated and industry certified technician, right in your home.  Whether you are looking to network multiple PCs, remove virus and/or spyware, or simply would like someone to sit down and help teach you how to accomplish certain tasks, we can help.

To see how we can assist you in all your technology needs, be they home pc repair or small business, please give us a call at (316) 337-5628.  We can shedule an onsite visit with no minimum support charges.

 

Business, Executive IT Support, IT Support ,

Wichita IT Service – Marco…Polo – How to Be Found Online

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Kevin Peterson Comments Off on Wichita IT Service – Marco…Polo – How to Be Found Online

For more information about computer maintenance and support in Wichita KS, visit our homepage at Proper Technology Solutions.

Search Engines – The Marco…Polo of Business

We’ve talked about search engine optimization before on our blog and decided it was time for an update.  Everyone knows the game Marco-Polo and it is a great analogy for business and online search engines.  When a customer performs a search for a business, they are effectively yelling ‘Marco!’ to the world.  The question is, can they hear you when you fire back the obligatory ‘Polo!’

To start on the road to answering louder, you need to determine what your ideal customer is shouting instead of ‘Marco!’.  They might be yelling ‘Chiropractor in Wichita!’, “Car dealerships in Kansas!’ or in our case ‘IT support in Wichita!’.

Take that first keyword phrase and type it into Google (the lion’s share of searches will come from the big G.).  If you don’t see your website on the first page, you’re probably not going to be heard.

As a relatively new website, we’ve put a lot of effort into optimizing in order to answer that eventual call.  Optimization and ranking take time, but below are some of our results in a little over a year.

Wichita IT Support – 3
IT Support Wichita – 2
Computer Support Wichita – 1
Wichita Computer Support – 1
Onsite IT Support Wichita – 1
Technology Support Wichita – 2
Computer Maintenance Wichita – 5

Some of our best IT service and support customers have come from these very searches.  If we hadn’t answered their call, they would have never known we existed.

Be wary of optimization offers you receive through the email promising rapid results.  There are shortcuts to the top, but they will quickly get your website banned from the search engines if discovered.  There is no way to guarantee numbers, and the process takes time and effort, which is well rewarded in increased visibility and sales.

If you’re trying to gain more visibility for your website, give us a call at (316) 337-5628.  We can evaluate your website with no obligations and get you on the road to being the loudest site in your field shouting ‘POLO!’

 

 

Business, IT Support, Search Engine Optimization, SEO , , ,